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Improving Automotive Quality

Improving Automotive Quality. Comparing aspects of domestic and foreign manufacturers Presentation by C____ B_______. Why is vehicle quality so important?. 2008 Audi A4 performs traction test to ensure Automatic Braking System (ABS) works properly. Better quality benefits the consumer with:

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Improving Automotive Quality

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  1. Improving Automotive Quality Comparing aspects of domestic and foreign manufacturers Presentation by C____ B_______

  2. Why is vehicle quality so important? 2008 Audi A4 performs traction test to ensure Automatic Braking System (ABS) works properly Better quality benefits the consumer with: • Less frequent repair work required, even after years of usage • Improved vehicle life • Better performance • More importantly, better quality ensures that the vehicle you drive is much safer, that it can protect its occupants from danger, and possibly save lives. (Deaton, Jamie Page)

  3. How do manufacturers ensure quality? Automakers conduct several tests to validate the vehicle before it can be released to the public. These tests must not only meet manufacturer’s standards, but those of the federal government. (Deaton, Jamie Page) They test many different aspects, such as the ride’s smoothness, suspension durability, and how various components hold up in extreme temperatures. (Audi Motors) Left: 2005 Ford Freestyle performs high-speed front-end collision test Above: 2011 Chevrolet Volt drives through ½ mile of 8” deep water in water resistance testing

  4. How do manufacturers ensure quality? • Crash tests are important because they measure the damage done to a human body during a crash. Crash tests dummies record the extent of injury to people of a wide range of ages, like adults, elderly, adolescents, and even infants. (Deaton, Jamie Page) • Ultimately, a vehicle can spend anywhere from 3-5+ years, in excess of 50,000 test hours, and over 1 million test miles before its initial release. (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) Above: 2000 Chevrolet Malibu (Left) vs. 1959 Chevrolet BelAir. Note the extent of damage to the Malibu in contrast to the BelAir. According to IIHS, the BelAir has a 99.7% chance of being a fatal crash. Right: The GM Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan. This 4,000 acre campus is the worlds largest, even visible from space, and can perform over 3,500 tests in several hundred buildings and tracks.

  5. What happens when quality is overlooked? • In 2010, Toyota recalled 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because floor mats could jam the gas pedal down. This was an extreme safety issue because most drivers don’t know how to control a runaway car. • Because this is a manual problem of the pedal getting stuck, not an automatic one, the engine control computer responds as if you’re pushing the accelerator. • A safety failure such as this can not only result in numerous deaths, but can badly scar a company’s reputation, making customers think twice about their vehicles. Left: Several 2010 Toyota vehicles sit on a dealer’s lot. These have been deemed unlawful to sell by Toyota Motor Company due to being part of the recall. Toyota lost millions in the recall & scraped over 900,000 unsold vehicles.

  6. Vehicle Quality is improving Many manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, have recently began increasing their effort for improving quality. (Di Sandro, Justin) General Motors has taken steps to ensure the same thorough quality checks are preformed by GM plants worldwide. (Di Sandro, Justin) Kia Motor Company conducts a test run on every vehicle before leaving the plant, along with diagnostics & leak testing. Both machines and people conduct these tests. (Di Sandro, Justin) An important factor in these improvements is the consumers. By paying close attention to their opinions, manufacturers are able to conduct heavy improvements on their quality control procedures. (Di Sandro, Justin) Above: A finished vehicle is pulled from the line for a quality control inspection. Most auto manufacturers require plants to take one of every 50-100 cars off the line to be inspected. A failed inspection can cause the rest of that line to be scraped.

  7. So, what’s the result of all this? There have been less repairs needed on vehicles recently due to multiple improvements by manufacturers. Now the required work is mostly scheduled maintenance. (Asian Times Online) Since so much effort has been put in to improving quality, the expansion of service facilities has not been proportional to the increase in sales. (Asian Times Online) Above: A certified Ford technician performs a routine 27-point inspection. Recently, improvements in quality and durability have reduced the frequency of large repair jobs and move the focus more toward routine maintenance.

  8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a5h94IGxmk

  9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F-U3r3_RXQ

  10. So who’s improved the most, domestic or foreign? There have been extensive efforts on both ends that have resulted in many important improvements in automotive quality. Both domestic and foreign manufacturers have made equally important efforts, and both ends would be able to tell you so and prove it, so ultimately, the decision is solely up to the consumer to decide.

  11. Works Cited Audi Motors, “Audi Perfection - The unique Audi quality.” YouTube. Audi Motor Company., 13 April, 2010. Video. 24 May, 2011. Deaton, Jamie Page. “How Automotive Quality Control Works.” October, 2009. 1-2. HowStuffWorks. Web. 9 May, 2011. Di Sandro, Justin. “Automakers work to ensure reliability: product reliability in the automotive industry fights to beat the stigma associated with failing cars.” May 2010. 2-3. General OneFile. Web. 17 May, 2011. fordvideo1, “Ford has most top quality vehicles in auto industry.” YouTube. 7 June, 2007. Video. 26 May, 2011.

  12. Works Cited (Continued) • “Foreign automakers shifting focus.” 1. Asian Times Online. Web. 26 May, 2011. • Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, “Automotive Safety FAQ.” 1. IIHS. Web. 31 May, 2011. • “Toyota recall – Gas pedal issue affects more than 2M vehicles.” 22 January, 2010. 1-2. CNN News. Web. 12 May, 2011. • “Vehicle quality improvements reduce warranty work.” 2003. 1. General OneFile. Web. 24 May, 2011.

  13. Prepared by: C____ B_______ Content from various sources (refer to Works Cited) Videos by Audi Motors and Ford Motor Company All photos found via Google Images Vehicles depicted in photos are the sole property of their rightful owners This presentation was part of a project prepared for E_____’s 5th hour English, 3rd Trimester, 2010-11 Thanks for watching! ;)

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